FAQ

Fees are updated annually, and the latest costs can be found here: Fees.

These costs include tuition, an athletics and recreation fee, access to the PAW Centre, and other expenses supporting student health and wellness, academic support, and the U-Pass for Edmonton public transit. For a detailed breakdown of estimated costs, please use the Cost Calculator. 

Many supports are available to meet the unique needs of MD students at the University of Alberta. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Advocacy and Wellbeing (OAW), the MD Program Academic Affairs team, or their MEDMap mentor for academic support. Additionally, students can seek less formal academic support from course coordinators, preceptors, and peers.

For mental health support, personal issues, and other concerns, please contact the OAW at oawadmin@ualberta.ca.

For more information, please visit the Resources section of the webpage.

Students needing approval for accommodation services and equipment should contact U of A Accommodations & Accessibility at arrec@ualberta.ca. Once approved, or if students in the MD program face issues related to accommodations, they should reach out to the Office of Advocacy and Wellbeing (OAW) at oawadmin@ualberta.ca.

New students are encouraged to watch the annual MD financial talk, available here: Financial Talk.

For additional assistance with budgeting and financial aid, students should visit the OAW webpage or schedule an appointment with the OAW at oawadmin@ualberta.ca. 

Your first day will be packed with information and excitement! The schedule will be published on Cally a few weeks prior. You can expect to spend the first few hours in the morning meeting your new classmates, picking up ID badges, receiving your Canadian Medical Association (CMA) backpack, and selecting your White Coat size. Throughout the rest of the day and during your first week, you'll attend sessions introducing you to the curriculum, the Foundations course, student support services, the campus, and key FOMD faculty members.

All students are required to have their stethoscope by mid-September. While any stethoscope is acceptable, many students historically choose the 3M Littmann Cardiology IV, which can be purchased at the University of Alberta bookstore or stethoscope.ca. 

Students are also encouraged to have reliable internet access and a laptop or tablet. 

For Anatomy labs, students must purchase a laboratory coat and safety glasses. Details about the specific jacket and glasses will be provided during the anatomy orientation session.

Course coordinators may recommend or require additional supplies, such as textbooks, software, or tools. These requirements will be communicated as far in advance as possible.

Students do not need to purchase a physician's coat, as a white coat will be presented to them during the September White Coat ceremony.

On the Edmonton campus, there are two official medical student lounges accessible via proximity access (i.e., tapping your OneCard). 

• MSA Lounge: Located in Katz (behind the lecture theatre).

• Medical Student Lounge (i.e., the Fishbowl): Located in the pedway between Katz and the University Hospital. 

Additional lounge and study space is available in the Katz Atrium, ECHA, and the Sperber Library (1st floor of ECHA). 

Other libraries on the Edmonton campus are a short distance away and can be used for studying. All libraries on campus have bookable study rooms that you can access. You can also use the small group rooms in Katz for studying when they are not in use, or book the Zeidler rooms for physical exam practice. To book these rooms, contact:

• Zeidler room bookings: ume43@ualberta.ca

• Katz small group rooms (DL rooms): ume.bookings@ualberta.ca 

NAMP lounge and study space can be found in HEC, and the Staff and Student Learning Centre (level 2) located in GPRH. Study and lounge space can also be found on the NWP main campus.

The online U of A library resources are also available for NAMP students, and the NWP library has resources and study spaces NAMP students can access.

Yes! The MD Program provides lockers for all first—and second-year students in the locker rooms on the 2nd floor of MSB. Students will receive locker access information before beginning Anatomy Labs in the winter semester. 

Clerks can request access to lockers in the basement of ECHA through the MD Program office.

For NAMP locker access, speak to Kristina Purcha.

You will come to find that medicine loves acronyms! Here is a cheat sheet on the left to help you learn some of the crucial acronyms related to your time as an MD student at UAlberta. 

When selecting electives, students are encouraged to explore various specialties and subspecialties to understand different physician roles and lifestyles. The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry (FOMD) offers an extensive electives catalogue, and the Medical Student Association (MSA) clubs and interest groups regularly organize elective opportunities. Additionally, Communities of Learning provide hands-on elective experiences, and students can arrange private shadowing for personalized learning. For more information, please click the following link: Electives. 

The University of Alberta MD curriculum is a 4-year program:

• Years 1-2: Pre-clerkship

Classroom-based learning with early clinical exposure, covering basic physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical medicine, primarily in Katz 1080 lecture hall. For more information on the preclerkship, please click the following link: Preclerkship (Yr 1 & 2)

• Years 3-4: Clerkship

Experiential, clinical-based learning "on the wards." For more information on clerkship, please click the following link: Clerkship (Yr 3 & 4)  

A longitudinal course, "Longitudinal Themes," runs throughout the 4 years, covering professionalism, evidence-based medicine, ethics, patient safety, patient immersion, communication skills, and physical examination. 

Students are assessed and graded using various modalities. During preclerkship, there are low-stakes and high-stakes assessments.

• Low-stakes assessments: Open book assignments, weekly quizzes, narrative or reflective writing, etc.

• High-stakes assessments: Final exams, anatomy labs, mid-term exams, OSCEs, comprehensive exams, etc.

During clerkship, students are assessed on completing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), OSCEs and comprehensive exams. 

Please view the website's Preclerkship, Clerkship, and Policies sections for more information.

It is possible to complete your MD degree in combination with other programs. The University of Alberta allows MD students to complete a combined MD/PhD or MD/MBA. 

For students with a strong interest in research who do not wish to complete a combined degree program, the Special Training in Research (MD/STIR) and the Undergraduate Summer Students' Research Programs provide students with the opportunity to participate in research beyond the curriculum. 

For more information, please view this webpage.

Students at U of A are encouraged to pursue their personal and professional interests throughout medical school. As part of the MD program, they have the option to explore three Communities of Learning: the Community of Research (CoRe), the Social Justice Community of Service & Scholarship, and the Arts & Humanities in Health and Medicine Communities of Learning. For further details, please visit Communities of Learning. 

Additionally, the Medical Students Association (MSA) offers a variety of student organizations and extracurricular activities beyond the academic program. More information can be found here: MSA Clubs and Initiatives. 

Please browse the clubs and interest groups through the Medical Students Association (MSA): MSA Clubs and Interest Groups.  

U of A MD students are expected to uphold high professionalism during learning in all settings. The professional standards for students can be viewed here: Professional Standards. 

All student policies can be found here: Policies.